Avalanche defeats Panthers behind Nathan MacKinnon's two goals

By Mike Chambers

The Denver Post

Posted:
12/14/2017 10:17:03 PM MST

Updated:
12/14/2017 10:17:29 PM MST

DENVER — In a matchup between the top two picks of the 2013 draft, those two players — Nathan MacKinnon (No. 1) and Aleksander Barkov (No. 2) — accounted for all the goals in the Avalanche's 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at the Pepsi Center.

MacKinnon scored twice and Colorado played a penalty-free game through two periods to defeat the Panthers for the second time in a week. The Avs, who won 7-3 on Saturday in Sunrise, Fla., snapped a three-game losing streak at home and improved to 15-14-2 overall with their third win in four games.

MacKinnon produced his third two-goal game of the season and had several chances at the hat trick in the third.

Exactly two minutes after MacKinnon was robbed by the quick glove of Panthers goalie James Reimer early in the third period, MacKinnon gave Colorado a 2-1 lead by driving to the net and putting the puck under Reimer's blocker-side armpit. MacKinnon team-high 13th of the season and second of the game came at 6:44 of the third period.

Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (32 saves) had one of his best games of the season.

After a scoreless first period, MacKinnon put the Avs in front with a scorching blast after a pass from Tyson Barrie at 3:15 of the second. During pregame warm-up, MacKinnon and Barrie were the last players off the ice, practicing those very one-timers.

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Colorado's lead didn't last long. The Avs went on the power play at 9:29 but allowed a short-handed goal at 10:27. Rookie defenseman Sam Girard is bound to learn from his blunder. He skated at half-speed to retrieve the puck below the Avs' end line, despite seeing forechecker Jared McCann coming. Girard collected the puck but didn't have enough separation or speed to outrace McCann, who poke-checked the puck free and dished in front to Barkov, who one-timed it past Varlamov to tie it up.

From the outset, Florida controlled play. The Avs didn't produce their first shot until 6:45 into the game. But the Panthers went on to commit the only two penalties of the frame and Colorado ended up outshooting the visitors 16-12. The second period, however, was a different story. The Avs only produced three shots, despite having the only power play of the frame.

MacKinnon took over in the third. And the Avs held on for the victory.

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